MANILA, Philippines — Universal Robina Corp., the food and beverage arm of tycoon John Gokongwei, has partnered with the Department of Agriculture to boost the production of potatoes and help local farmers.

The program aims to increase the annual yield of potatoes and scale up farmers’ productivity.

“This is the first for any private corporation to give out support for our potato farmers. URC will help through the sourcing of seeds while we provide the technical support,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said during the launch.